Laid Back - Sunshine Reggae

Following the success in Denmark of "Maybe I'm Crazy", Laid Back thought it appropriate to sign with the then funkiest label in Copenhagen - namely Medley Records (later acquired by EMI), rather than operating out of Hamburg, Germany.

By the time tracks had been recorded and were submitted to Medley, there was a slight hitch... Medley didn't really like the tracks Laid Back intended for singles. A compromise was reached, though: Medley agreed to release the 2 fave Laid Back single choices as a double A-side release, intending to call all shots from then on. And what a double A-side it was to be... "Sunshine Reggae" hitting in Europe and "White Horse" in the USA!

I didn't knew this song was a huge hit back in 1982. I was too young I presume. Anyway, Funkstar DeLuxe injects his traditional House vibe in the mix. The "Pool Party De Luxe" mixes have the rhythm slowed down in the middle of the track to flow into the original '82 version, while the "Club De Luxe" versions omits this transition. I think it's well done globally. It could have been on Funkstar DeLuxe's first album, but it was released a few weeks after the initial release. It still is a potent summer anthem, with filters, crowd noises and the original vocals (probably inspired by Bob Marley's "Sun Is Shining").

Let me first say, I bought this 12" not for the title track, but for the B-side of this particular release. "White Horse" is a stomping dance floor pounder that can and should get any crowd swaying in a flash. The bassline especially is deep, dark, and smo-o-o-o-o-th. Simple, too. The synths are awesome and sound as if aliens were communicating directly to the producers of the song. The lyrics are just controversial enough to satisfy the childish desires of our swearing-addicted youth culture. I remember in 1983 when MTV banned this one outright and Sire re-released a "bitchless" version. I just so happen to have both censored and uncensored versions of the 7". I also remember when I did hear that word when my mom bought it! It felt awkward to an eleven year old at the time because that was well before 2-Live Crew and Gangsta-Rap, it was a cleaner world back then! Aside from the swearing, this is an excellent precursor to the techno age and a very good example of techno before techno. Check this one out!